Garage Sale Choice Board Activities

The school year is winding down, the weather is getting nice, and garage sales will be all the buzz in the neighborhoods.  With the focus on trying to implement creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking within the classrooms, garage sale finds can help to design choice board activities that blend into the curriculum and standards.  

What to buy at a Garage Sale for the classrooms?

When I am shopping for my classrooms, I am looking for any of the following items. 

• Craft supplies
• Bean Bags
• Board Games
• Storage Containers
• Puzzles
• Magnets
• Flexible seating ideas (Camping chairs, buckets, futons) Stay away from cloth seating options.  Pleather and plastic is best!   

Get the educational discount

Before you purchase the items for your classroom, explain to the people running the garage sale that you will be using the items in the classroom.  Chances are they will give you a discount or even give you the items for free.  Most American citizens are willing to help out the educational system and are willing to donate items to the classrooms.  Don't be afraid to ask or share your story about how you will be using the items. 

How to use the Garage Sale finds within the classroom?

Develop choice board activities for the students to complete that will encourage creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.  The choice boards can run themselves once the students know how to use the materials, games, and resources.  The following Choice Board is all based on Garage Sale finds and can be tied into any curriculum area. 

• Choice Board Example
• Explanation of the  Items
• Sample Direction Cards

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phase_1_choice_board_activities.pdf
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App Dice- Wonderopolis.org

• Student(s) roll one die to answer a question from Wonderopolis or to answer a question that goes along with a standard concept being taught in class. (Question Die)
• Student(s) roll another die that randomly picks and activity for the student to complete (Task Die)
• Students(s) roll the third die to place the findings or answers into an online website program. (House Die) 
• Student(s) roll the fourth die to generate a quiz that goes along with the Wonderopolis question and/or standard. (Quiz Die) 
  
• Here is a Video example of the App Dice

Cootie Catchers

Who doesn't love a Cootie Catcher?  Turn the famous paper game into a review game, a vocabulary game, and even an exploration of a new topic game.  Here is a Google Folder with  a bunch of free cootie catchers to use within your classroom environments.  

Create Something, Create Anything

Allow students time to create something, anything that showcases a standard or even their passion.  Pull out craft supplies where students can cut, paste, and share their ideas through hands-on items. 

Create a Voice QR Code

Students can take time to generate a voice QR Code on a topic or standard that showcases their knowledge and understanding of the content.  Students can use either Seesaw.me or Vocaroo.com

Jenga Review and Practice

Take a garage sale find, a Jenga Game, and spray paint the pieces. with clear gloss paint.  Once the paint dries, write questions and discussion points onto the pieces.  Students play the game and review ideas, talk about main concepts, and share out ideas while trying not to tip over the game.  (Create a challenge and see which group can get the most blocks stacked) 

Vocab Taboo

Another Garage Sale board game find.  Give time for the students to learn how to play the game of Taboo.  Next, students use the teacher generated Taboo cards to review vocabulary or concepts taught in class.  Take the learning to the next level and have the students create their own review Taboo Cards.  Download sample Vocabulary Taboo Cards. 
Sample Taboo Cards: China Vocabulary Cards
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Story Cubes

Roll the Dice and Create a story with StoryCubes. The story can be tied to content area and/or a free write story.  I have seen schools that post the story on Google Docs and then other students add onto the story once they roll the dice.  

Take Flight

Using craft paper, students create their own paper airplane.  Let them see how far it can fly.  Ideas on how to tie it into the classroom content. 

• Toss the paper airplane into a question field
• Generate a challenge to see who can fly the farthest, longest, ...
• Quick write on aviation history
• Tie into the Kite Runner challenge

Free download how paper airplane designs. 

Complete a QR Code Scavenger Hunt

Students love scavenger hunts.  Generate your own QR Code Scavenger Hunt or use one that is all ready created for you.  Sample QR Codes are listed below

• FREE Newsela QR Code Scavenger Hunt 
• Scavenger Hunts on TPT

Make a SMORE!

Students build an online poster that can be shared globally with other students and learners from across the globe.  Check out www.smore.com to build your first Smore with the students.  The graphic below showcase where a Smore has traveled.  

Direction Cards

Students travel to the different choice board activities while you are teaching a small group. Direction cards help the students to understand the task and idea behind the activities.   I also make mini videos that show how to complete the task.  Below is a sample of the direction cards for the choice board activities. 

choice_direction_cards.pdf
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Learn more about tech tools and choice boards

We are hosting a two-day workshop on blended and personalized learning in Columbus, Ohio.  We will be showcasing not only information about blended and personalized but also tech tools, STEM applications, Code.org, PBL, and much more. Learn more at www.dsdpdconference.com